Sam Kinchin-Smith explores the importance of music to E.L. James' erotic blockbuster trilogy. Why is so much of the 50 Shades books’ blatantly misogynist (and materialist) project played out to, and through, music? And what does this say about the place and status of music, both popular and “classical”, in contemporary culture?»

I spoke to Ron from Sparks on the telephone because he’s touring again, with brother Russell. Just to be clear, Ron is the one you probably think of when you think of Sparks. That’s right, the super intense one with the Hitler moustache that became a Jon »

The very last thing Mike Hadreas (aka Perfume Genius) says to me during our conversation in some Shoreditch forecourt is both a decent summary of the energies behind his new record, and a microcosm of his approach to answering questions: “I wanted to make something you can listen to for a long time.” »

‘The pig,’ murmurs Matthew Herbert, avant-electronic pioneer hero, sitting on his hands, ‘is a metaphor. For the gap between user and producer, what we do and its impact, the consequences of our actions. The way we treat animals is arguably the worst expression of that.’»

"I mean, I suppose people are expecting me to say, Nick Cave’s a…" Mick Harvey, sipping sparkling mineral water in one of the Cumberland Hotel’s many lounges, mumbles a word that sounds an awful lot like cunt. "But it’s not like that. We still talk. A bit»

Read and Shout 2011 is a festival thought up as a way of protesting against the vicious public sector cuts that threaten our libraries. On Saturday 19th March, Hefner’s Darren Hayman and Jens Lekman will converge on Nettlefold Hall with a clutch of other acts to express their opposition to proposed cuts to library services.»

The overall effect is like a lighter, more self-conscious, throwaway, altogether 2011 take on David Bowie’s Low, a collision of popstar and avant-production that is all the more interesting for not quite knowing where it is. »

if you can produce a half-decent transcription of my interview with
Andy, or (a more reasonable alternative) you can do something to the recording that’ll
make my transcribing it remotely feasible, you win a prize. Can’t tell you precisely
what the prize will be, but it will be good. Worth a couple hours of your time,
anyway. I’ll also personally buy you a night’s worth of pints at a future GoF show (or
some sort of equivalent) and just generally be pathetically grateful – the thought of
throwing the whole thing away because of my lack of audio-editing-ability breaks my
heart, basically. Friends, do we have a deal? Anyone? Anyone at all?»

Midway through DiS’s two-week attempt to simultaneously indulge and break down the framework of musical stereotype that has somehow resulted in 'Nordic' becoming a viable critical adjective, Efterklang’s keyboardist Anna Bronsted releases the most Nordic record of all time.»

As those that are familiar with Nick Cave slash Bad Seeds slash Nick‘n’Blixa slash Nick‘n’Warren slash Grinderman interviews will surely attest, the man likes to dominate. I’d like to say this is why I chose to talk to Jim Sclavunos, Warren Ellis and Mart»

Wilderness Heart remains, ultimately, a collection of ten tracks of roughly equal length, each taking roughly one classic idea and pickling it in (admittedly, impeccably realised) production gloss and traditionalist technique.»

The layered, multi-directional numbers stand out rather than fit in. On either side are tunes a little too straightforward, big ideas a little too self-contained to really mesh in the way you want them to. »

Homeland’s biggest achievement is to sculpt a lot of minutes of material – both new tracks and ones she’s been playing live for years – into something that feels textured and whole, rather than fatly fragmented.»